Renaultsport Twingo 133 | Spotted
Who'd have thought that the rarest Renaultsport on the classifieds would be one of the cheapest?
When it comes to buying your first hot hatch, there’s a good chance your first port of call will be something with a Renaultsport badge. For most, the focus is either to start out with an RS Clio or, if your budget allows, go for the more powerful and, for early models, more practical, RS Megane. However, these once attainable cars are now highly sought after by collectors and finding one that’s clean with relatively low mileage is becoming increasingly rare.
So now we turn our attention towards the seemingly forgotten Renaultsport Twingo 133. A quick glance at the classifieds reveals a bunch of hot Clios and Meganes for sale. Heck, there are even four listings for Clio V6s at the time of writing, yet the car we have here is the one of just three Twingo 133s currently for sale on PH. Is it because they’re a hidden gem and owners are hanging onto them for dear life? Possibly. But the fact is there simply aren’t that many owners.
Despite a very lengthy (and likely expensive) spot on Top Gear, Twingo 133s sold in the hundreds, not thousands. HowManyLeft puts the figure at just under 600 in the car’s heyday back in 2010, though that’s dropped to around 430 today. When you look at the car’s pedigree, it seems a little odd that it wasn’t more popular.
Perhaps it was that Renaultsport’s cute city car was positioned too closely to the Clio 197 on price. At £13,165 it was only around £2,000 cheaper than a new 197 at the time, which becomes relatively negligible spread over a finance term. Of course, for buyers, the car with a bit more power is going to win out and handing over the extra couple of grand for a larger car may seem like a no-brainer.
That being said, the Clio 197 was a tad on the heavy side and couldn’t capitalise on the success of its 182 predecessor. Meanwhile, the Twingo 133 was around 200kg lighter at 1,050kg. It also adopted some bits and pieces from the Clio 182, such as the rear-axle layout. Even the 1.6 engine was nicked from a Clio, albeit a standard one, with power coming in at (you guessed it) 133hp courtesy of uprated camshafts. An optional Cup chassis reworked the suspension for a 10 per cent increase in stiffness and a 4mm drop in ride height. No, it can’t match the Clio 197 on outright pace, but some say the Twingo is a bit more fun in the bends.
The one and only original 133 we have on the classifieds doesn’t appear to have the Cup chassis, but you shouldn’t dismiss it. Not only will the slightly softer suspension setup be a little easier to live with, but it still has the same power output and ultra-light kerb weight. We’re also digging the discreet look with the standard 16-inch alloys and Mercury Silver metallic paint.
It’s listed at £3,995 and, to be fair, you can still find the odd Renaultsport Clio in this territory, but these will be high-mile heroes with light modifications. This Twingo, though, has only covered 54,000 miles and recently had timing belt and water pump replacements. Couple that with an MOT that runs until February 2023 and you’ve got yourself a surprisingly rare hot hatch that’s desperate for a B road blast. Tempting. Very tempting...
SPECIFICATION | RENAULTSPORT TWINGO 133
Engine: 1,598, four-cylinder
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 133@6,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 118@4,400rpm
MPG: 43.5
CO2: 150g/km
Year registered: 2009
Recorded miles: 54,000
Price new: £13,165
Yours for: £3,995
Also wonder if I will look a bellend as a tall, mid 40's professional who is trying to re-capture his youth.
They look great fun though.
He'd previously owned one back from when they first launched.
We ended up going for a Suzuki Swift Sport. We paid half the price vs. a similar spec Twingo 133 and haven't regretted it so far.
I do have a soft spot for them though and would love to have a go one day.
issue always was that the swift sport existed which is just a better buying option, jap reliability vs French and a standard kit list on the swift that the surprisingly heavier twingo could only dream of. both had great handling out the box.
but definitely further poof that less is more in this crazy world of mega horsepower, so it should be tried if you haven't
Bought it 2 years old, and kept it over 6 years.
Bad points.
Driving position is awful thanks to raked steering wheel.
Revs slowly
Cup Chassis can be a bit much on certain roads. Winced a few times.
Not much over taking punch.
Good Points.
Lots of standard equipment. A/C, bluetooth, cruise control etc.
Will corner on rails, and can be chucked round a roundabout at silly speeds.
Keep it on the boil and you can get along a road at a decent lick
Old school driving required. Back off knowing a straight it a few bends away. Floor it at just the right time, so when the straight appears you can overtake with ease.
Overall it was a very enjoyable car. Yes it squeaked and rattle at time. All Renaults do. But not as much as my old 172 that was truly awful. Cheap to run, cheap to insure, fun to drive. Brilliant little car.
Sad that the article has a couple of little digs at modified cars. There's a good reason that modifying the Clio is so popular - you can make a storming car out of them. Not everyone obsesses over low mileage, standard cars.
Sad that the article has a couple of little digs at modified cars. There's a good reason that modifying the Clio is so popular - you can make a storming car out of them. Not everyone obsesses over low mileage, standard cars.
Here is mine. Needed a stop gap after our Zoe order was cancelled and couldn't face driving the camper through a Munich winter.
It's a standard RS (133) with cup add-ons. It's a bit of a harsh ride for our use but it is a lot of fun.
This week i have been swearing my head off at it because the back box has blown and I could not find a pattern part anyway in Europe. Renault wanted €1400 Euro for the original part. Managed to source a used one for €100 and welded it in place. Apart from that and the usual Renault blower resistor it's been fine for 6 months.
Tuv is booked for Friday so fingers crossed.
Cup version 59 plate with 35k on the clock and i love it little mods done and its a great little car. Replaced a very worn corsa c as seen below. Got a fun weekend car but wanted something different and fun for the commute which happens be mainly b roads. You can really feel the road in the car but does not worry me at all when slinging it around the corners. Trying to remember its a daily and not spend all my momey making it more then that!
, personally I Like the colour , I guess not everyone shares the same opinion, a case of looks better in real life I reckon . Also wonder if I will look a bellend as a tall, mid 40's professional who is trying to re-capture his youth.
They look great fun though.
It does seem mad though, mine cost me £5k 10 years ago. They are only a grand less a decade down the line.
I remember pushing the TC button in just beneath the steering column and the button fell through the dash
It might only have 133hp but it was such a great handing car and loved to be thrashed
At the time a lot would get the 1.2tce GT map it and have the same power with more torque but it didn't handle anywhere near the same
Also wonder if I will look a bellend as a tall, mid 40's professional who is trying to re-capture his youth.
They look great fun though.
k'em !I'm 52 and bought one last year.
Wanted something for backroad driving pleasure, reminds me of the good ole days horsing around in my 205 GTi & 5GTT.
2010 51K miles, CUP version, bench rear seat, no AC etc etc
Brilliant fun.
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